Re-election on Lower Dir's PK-95 to be held on July 12

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced the schedule for re-election on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly’s PK-95 Lower Dir constituency, elections on which were declared void after reports of disenfranchisement of women voters.

According to a notification issued by the ECP, re-election in the constituency will now be held on July 12.

By-elections were held in the constituency in May this year after the seat was vacated by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq after his election as a Senator. JI candidate Izazul Mulk succeeded in the by-polls in May following a close contest with the Awami National Party (ANP) candidate.

But the election was marred by reports of a tribal jirga barring women from voting, resulting in a low turnout of women in the by-polls.

The reports prompted civil society and human rights activists to submit a petition to the ECP challenging the results of the by-elections on the grounds that women were not allowed to vote.

Issuing a notification earlier this week signed by Chief election commissioner Sardar Raza Khan, the ECP declared the by-election null and void due to sparse turnout of women voters. The date for re-election has now been fixed for July 12.